I bought a new Bravo in 2004 for the wife (now we can sail alone togeather, I have a H17 Sport) and added the optional boom for a pricy $300.00. The boom was a great addition for any off wind sailing, allowing her to shape the sail as needed. I do, however, have few gripes. As purchased, the boom vang line runs through only a fairlead on the boom, where it should run through a micro bullet block (Harken $8.45, plus a rivit I had to replace when attaching to the fairlead) and the line itself was of marginal quality (replaced for $10.00 with 20 ft of 1/4" - 8 strand low stretch). As for the boat itself, the wife loves it. The only thing I replaced was the original hiking stick. My wife is 5'0" tall and needed a longer stick to be able to sit more foreward when pointing. For that I shortened the original hiking stick I had left over from a H16 (it pays to save those old boat parts, well atleast sometimes).

So if present owners had to advise a would-be buyer on the purchase of the boom, what would be the answer? Are the trade-offs--loss of convenience rigging and furling the sail and the need to keep one's head down, not to mention the cost--worth the gains reaching and running? Or do the majority of Bravo images depicting the rig sans boom reflect a preference for doing without? Do those who do without get along fine gybing from broad reach to broad reach?

Netcastyle, all be it expensive, and adds 2-3 minutes to the rigging, the boom was a good investment. The sail still can be fully furled with the boom as long as you let up on the vang and outhaul tension. The sail shape down wind without the boom is much to be desired. With the boom it is totally adjustable. As far as safety, Yes, no boom is safer especially for a novice when uncontrolled jibs are more likely, though with experience and rudder control the boom is much less of a danger. Happy sailing.

What has been others experience pointing into the wind on their Bravos?

The nearest lake for us is a very narrow (.15-.20 miles wide, and 1.5 miles long) North South lake. With a steady 15MPH wind from the South, we spent all of our time back and forth across the lake, only gaining a short distance upwind on each tack.

The reaches were fun, but too short, and I guess I was thinking I could point more on a close haul. Maybe it just seemed that way because the tacks were so short?

Another tip to help you get upwind better is when a gust hits, don't let the sail out to dump the extra wind. Pinch the boat upwind, not to much or you will stall it out. Just enough to dump that extra air. Then when the gust is over, bring the boat back down to where it was.